Alum Bluff in Liberty County has been named Florida’s first State Invertebrate Paleontological Site and the ninth State Geological Site by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This recognition highlights Alum Bluff as a significant location for geological and paleontological research in the state.
The bluff, which stands about 120 feet above the Apalachicola River within The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, displays layers of ancient rock that provide insight into millions of years of Earth’s history. The exposed limestone, sand, silt, and clay at Alum Bluff contain diverse and well-preserved fossil deposits, making it one of the most important sites in the southeastern United States for studying invertebrate fossils.
“Alum Bluff is the tallest natural exposure in Florida and one of the few places where you can see four different geological formations,” said Florida State Geologist and Florida Geological Survey Director Guy “Harley” Means, P.G. “Each formation contains clues, like diverse and well-preserved fossil assemblages, that help geologists interpret Florida’s geologic history over the past 18 million years. Geologists have been studying the strata exposed at this important site for more than 100 years, and we are still learning new things about it.”
In addition to its fossil resources, Alum Bluff features steep-sided ravines known as steepheads. These areas support plant and animal species that have survived since the last ice age.
“When The Nature Conservancy acquired the property, now known as Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, in the 1980s, we named it for the unique geologic features, the bluffs and ravines, that motivated the organization to protect this landscape,” said The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve Manager Catherine Ricketts. “After decades of restoration and management work to conserve the preserve’s biodiversity, The Nature Conservancy is proud to continue to support and protect Florida’s natural heritage with these designations for Alum Bluff from the Florida Geological Survey.”
State Invertebrate Paleontological Sites are designated to safeguard areas with rare or scientifically important invertebrate fossils. State Geological Sites aim to highlight locations where people can learn about Florida’s geology and its connection to local ecosystems.
Visitors are asked to help preserve Alum Bluff by staying on marked trails, removing all trash, and leaving natural features undisturbed.
After a ceremony marking this designation, attendees participated in a boat tour along the Apalachicola River to observe Alum Bluff’s geological formations.
The authority for such designations comes from legislation empowering the state geologist to recognize sites important for scientific study of Florida’s geological history. Other recognized sites include Jennings Bluff Tract, Torreya State Park, Falling Waters State Park, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, Florida Caverns State Park, Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, and Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park.
